Clinical Cancer Research AACR Conference on Cancer Prevention
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
Cancer Research Clinical Cancer Research
Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention Molecular Cancer Therapeutics
Molecular Cancer Research Cancer Prevention Research
Cancer Prevention Journals Portal Cancer Reviews Online
Annual Meeting Education Book Meeting Abstracts Online

This Article
Right arrow Abstract Freely available
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Sun, L.
Right arrow Articles by Uckun, F. M.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Sun, L.
Right arrow Articles by Uckun, F. M.
Clinical Cancer Research Vol. 5, 2112-2120, August 1999
© 1999 American Association for Cancer Research


Molecular Oncology, Markers, Clinical Correlates

Expression of Dominant-Negative Ikaros Isoforms in T-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia1

Lei Sun, Mya-Lisa Crotty, Martha Sensel, Harland Sather, Christopher Navara, James Nachman, Peter G. Steinherz, Paul S. Gaynon, Nita Seibel, Chen Mao, Alexei Vassilev, Gregory H. Reaman and Fatih M. Uckun2

Parker Hughes Cancer Center and Children’s Cancer Group ALL Biology Reference Laboratory, Hughes Institute, St. Paul, Minnesota 55113 [L. S., M-L. C., C. N., A. V., C. M., F. M. U.]; Group Operations Center, Children’s Cancer Group, Arcadia, California 91066 [H. S., M. S.]; Department of Pediatrics, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60601 [J. N.]; Department of Pediatrics, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York 10021 [P. G. S.]; Department of Hematology-Oncology, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90027 [P. S. G.]; and Children’s National Medical Center and the George Washington University, Washington, D.C. 20010 [N. S., G. H. R.]


    ABSTRACT
 Top
 ABSTRACT
 INTRODUCTION
 MATERIALS AND METHODS
 RESULTS
 DISCUSSION
 REFERENCES
 
Ikaros, a zinc finger-containing DNA-binding protein, is required for normal lymphocyte development. Germ-line mutant mice that express only non-DNA binding dominant-negative "leukemogenic" Ikaros isoforms lacking critical NH2-terminal zinc fingers develop an aggressive form of T-cell leukemia. We studied Ikaros gene expression in leukemic cells from 18 children with T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL). In each of the 18 T-ALL cases as well as JK-E6–1 and MOLT-3 cell lines, we found high-level expression of dominant-negative isoforms of Ikaros with abnormal subcellular compartmentalization patterns. Nuclear extracts from these cells failed to bind to the IKAROS-specific binding sequence in DNA. PCR cloning and sequencing confirmed that JK-E6–1 and MOLT-3 cell lines as well as leukemic cells from 9 of 10 patients with T-ALL expressed dominant-negative Ikaros isoforms Ik-4, Ik-7, and Ik-8 that lack critical NH2-terminal zinc fingers. In 6 of 10 patients, we detected a specific mutation leading to an in-frame deletion of 10 amino acids ({Delta} KSSMPQKFLG) upstream to the transcription activation domain and adjacent to the COOH-terminal zinc fingers of Ik-2, Ik-4, Ik-7, and Ik-8. Thus, children with T-ALL express high levels of dysfunctional dominant-negative Ikaros isoforms.


    INTRODUCTION
 Top
 ABSTRACT
 INTRODUCTION
 MATERIALS AND METHODS
 RESULTS
 DISCUSSION
 REFERENCES
 
ALL3 is the most common form of cancer in children (1) . The leukemic clones in ALL patients are thought to originate from normal lymphocyte precursors arrested at various stages of T- or B-cell development (2) ; hence, ALL is a biologically heterogeneous disease. Patients with ALL derived from T-cell precursors (T-ALL) frequently exhibit high-risk features including high WBC counts (>= 50,000/µl), nonwhite race, age >=10 years, marked enlargement of the spleen, liver, and lymph nodes, and bulky disease of the mediastinum. Children with T-ALL have a poor prognosis unless they are treated with very intensive chemotherapy regimens (3) . A better understanding of the biological basis of T-ALL should lead to the development of innovative and more effective treatment programs for patients with this distinct form of leukemia.

Ikaros, a member of the Kruppel family "zinc finger" DNA-binding proteins, is one of the critical transcriptional regulators of lymphocyte ontogeny and differentiation in amphibian, teleost, avian, and murine species (4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10) . Alternatively spliced transcripts of the Ikaros gene encode at least eight zinc finger proteins with distinct DNA-binding capabilities and specificities (Ikaros isoforms Ik-1 through Ik-8; Refs. 4 and 5 ). Ikaros proteins are highly conserved between human and mouse, and all share a common COOH-terminal domain containing a bipartite transcription activation motif and two zinc finger motifs required for hetero- and homodimerization among the Ikaros isoforms and interactions with other proteins (4 , 7) . They differ in their NH2 -terminal zinc finger (F1 through F4) composition and in their overall DNA binding and transcriptional activation properties. At least three NH2 -terminal zinc fingers are required for high-affinity DNA binding to the 4-bp core motif GGGA. Thus, only the isoforms Ik-1, Ik-2, and Ik-3, which contain at least three NH2 -terminal zinc fingers, exhibit high-affinity DNA binding. These DNA-binding isoforms localize to the nucleus, whereas isoforms Ik-4 through Ik-8, which have fewer than three NH2 -terminal zinc fingers, localize to the cytoplasm (4 , 7) . The formation of homo- and heterodimers among the DNA-binding isoforms increases their affinity for DNA, whereas heterodimers between these DNA-binding isoforms and those without an intact DNA-binding domain are unable to bind DNA and are therefore transcriptionally inactive (7) . Therefore, Ikaros proteins with fewer than three NH2 -terminal zinc fingers can exert a dominant-negative effect by interfering with the activity of Ikaros isoforms that can bind DNA (7) .

Homozygous deletion of the Ikaros exons 3 and 4 encoding three NH2 -terminal zinc fingers required for sequence-specific DNA binding of Ikaros results in a complete arrest in the development of all lymphoid lineages in mice (4) . Mice heterozygous for this mutation express higher than normal levels of Ik-6, Ik-7, and Ik-8 isoforms and develop a highly aggressive form of T-cell leukemia with a concomitant loss of heterozygosity between 3 and 6 months after birth (4 , 6) . Immediately prior to development of leukemia, lymphocyte precursors show a significant decrease in their Ikaros-specific DNA-binding activity, along with a change in compartmentalization of Ikaros from nucleus to cytoplasm (7) .

On the basis of the critical role played by Ikaros in the development of the normal immune system in mice and the rapid development of T-cell leukemia in germ-line mutant mice expressing dominant-negative isoforms of Ikaros, we sought to determine whether specific molecular defects involving this candidate leukemia suppressor gene may contribute to the leukemogenesis of T-ALL in children. Using multiple molecular, biochemical, and immunological techniques to examine Ikaros gene expression and function, we have demonstrated that primary leukemic cells from children with T-ALL express high levels of dysfunctional dominant-negative Ikaros isoforms. These findings support the hypothesis that the expression of dominant-negative Ikaros isoforms and the disruption of normal Ikaros function may contribute to the development of childhood T-ALL. These results are consistent with and extend our recent study that implicated dominant-negative isoforms of Ikaros in the leukemogenesis of infant ALL (8) .


    MATERIALS AND METHODS
 Top
 ABSTRACT
 INTRODUCTION
 MATERIALS AND METHODS
 RESULTS
 DISCUSSION
 REFERENCES
 
Patients and Cell Lines.
The patient population included 15 patients (<21 years of age) with newly diagnosed T-ALL who were enrolled between October 1996 and February 1998 on CCG protocols CCG-1882 and CCG-1961 (for ALL patients of ages 1–9 years with WBC >=50,000/µl or age >=10 years) and CCG 1901 (for ALL patients with lymphomatous features, including T-ALL). Three patients with T-ALL in first bone marrow relapse also were studied. Each protocol was approved by the National Cancer Institute as well as the Institutional Review Boards of the participating CCG-affiliated institutions. Informed consent was obtained from parents, patients, or both, as deemed appropriate, for both treatment and laboratory studies, according to Department of Health and Human Services guidelines. Diagnosis of ALL was based on morphological, biochemical, and immunological features of the leukemic cells, including lymphoblast morphology as determined by Wright-Giemsa staining, positive nuclear staining for terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase, negative staining for myeloperoxidase, and reactivity with monoclonal antibodies to lymphoid differentiation antigens, as described previously (11 , 12) . All 18 patients of the present study were classified as T-ALL because >=30% of the isolated leukemic cells were positive for the pan-T cell marker CD7 (range, 47–99%, median, 90%), and <30% were positive for the pan-B cell marker CD19 (Table 1)Citation . Surplus cells from diagnostic bone marrow specimens were used for molecular genetic studies. Among the 15 newly diagnosed patients, 6 (40%) were >=10 years of age, 9 (60%) were male, 14 (96.6%) had high WBC counts (range, 71,000/µl-819,000/µl; median, 500,000/µl), 12 (80%) had hepatosplenomegaly, and 11 (73.3%) had a mediastinal mass (Table 1)Citation . All 15 newly diagnosed patients had high-risk ALL according to the National Cancer Institute risk classification. These presenting features are typical of children with T-ALL (3 , 11 , 12) .


View this table:
[in this window]
[in a new window]
 
Table 1 Patient characteristics

 
Normal bone marrow specimens were obtained from two children who were bone marrow donors in the context of sibling bone marrow transplantation. Normal thymuses were obtained from three children undergoing thoracic surgery for a cardiac defect. One fetal thymus was obtained from a prostaglandin-induced human abortus of 21 weeks gestational age. These tissues were used according to the guidelines of the Hughes Institute Committee on the Use of Human Subjects. In addition, the human T-ALL cell lines MOLT-321 and JK-E6–1 (ATCC TIB-152) were also included in the analyses.

RT-PCR and Nucleotide Sequencing.
All RT-PCR assays for Ikaros mRNA expression were performed centrally in the CCG ALL Biology Reference Laboratory, with all due precautions to avoid false positive results, as described previously in detail (8) . For enhanced sensitivity, the PCR products were amplified further by nested PCR. Primers for Ikaros cDNA amplification were: F1, 5'-ATGGATGCTGACGAGGGTCAAGAC-3'; and R1, 5'-TT-AGCTCATGTGGAAGCGGTGCTC-3'. Primers for nested PCR were: F2, 5'-CTCATCAGGGAAGGAAAGCC-3'; and R2, 5'-GGTGTACATGACGTGATCCAGG-3'. Reactions conducted with RNA isolated from normal fetal thymocytes/infant bone marrow mononuclear cells were used as positive controls for Ikaros transcripts. Negative controls included PCR products from an RNA-free cDNA synthesis and amplification reaction and a DNA polymerase-free reaction.

Purified RT-PCR products (QIAquick PCR purification kit; Qiagen, Santa Clarita, CA) were cloned into the pCR II vector using the TA Cloning kit (Invitrogen, San Diego, CA). The cloned PCR products were purified with a Qiagen plasmid isolation kit and sequenced automatically with the Thermosequenase sequencing kit (Amersham, Arlington Heights, IL) and the ALF Sequencer (Pharmacia, LKB Biotech, Piscataway, NJ). The sequences were compared with the published human Ikaros cDNA sequence obtained through GenBank (accession codes Sarcoma 180876 and U40462).

The predicted amino acid sequence of an insertion due to a 60-bp insertion found in Ikaros 2 coding sequence from PCR clones of some leukemic T-cells was analyzed using a homology model based upon the crystal structure of the zinc finger transcription factor Zif268/EGR-1 to predict its impact on the protein structure and function of Ikaros 2 (13 , 14) . Zif268 has three zinc fingers with a primary sequence motif, which is similar to that of Ik-2 (13) . The length and finger connection of the last two zinc fingers in Zif268 are identical to those of the first three Ik-2 zinc fingers, except the third Ik-2 zinc finger is only one amino acid longer. Therefore, we used the crystal structure of Zif268 as a structural template in modeling the Ik-2 DNA binding domain. The Ik-2 amino acid sequence was first aligned with the Zif268 sequence. On the basis of the sequence alignment, the coordinates of the Ik-2 zinc fingers were assigned automatically using the homology module of INSIGHTII (Molecular Simulation, Inc., San Diego, CA). The model was then extended to include the exon 2a sequence based on the secondary structure prediction using the LASERGENE program (DNASTAR, Inc., Madison, WI), and the C{alpha} positions of the region were assigned manually using "O" program (14) . Finally, the ribbon representation of the model including the three zinc fingers and a DNA duplex were done based on the homology model.

Western Blot Analysis of Ikaros Protein Expression.
Whole-cell lysates were prepared using a 1% NP40 lysis buffer, as described (8) . Western blot analysis of whole-cell lysates for Ikaros expression was performed by immunoblotting using a polyclonal anti-Ikaros antibody reactive with all eight Ikaros isoforms and the enhanced chemiluminescence (ECL) detection system (Amersham Life Sciences), as described previously (8) .

Subcellular Localization Studies Using Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy.
The subcellular localization of Ikaros protein(s) was examined by immunofluorescence and confocal laser scanning microscopy, as described (8) . To detect the Ikaros protein, cells were incubated with an affinity-purified polyclonal rabbit anti-Ikaros antibody of 1:300 dilution for 1 h at room temperature. Cells were washed with PBS and incubated with a FITC-conjugated goat anti-rabbit IgG (Amersham Corp., Arlington Heights, IL) at a 1:40 final dilution for 1 h. Cells were washed with PBS, counterstained with the DNA-specific nuclear dye toto-3 (Molecular Probes, Inc.) at a 1:1000 dilution for 10 min at room temperature, and washed again with PBS. The coverslips were inverted, mounted onto slides in Vectashield (Vector Labs, Burlingame, CA) to prevent photobleaching, and sealed with nail varnish. Slides were examined using a Bio-Rad MRC 1024 Laser Scanning Confocal Microscope mounted on an Nikon Eclipse E-800 upright microscope equipped for epifluorescence with high numerical aperture objectives. Optical sections were obtained and turned into stereomicrographs using Lasersharp software (Bio-Rad, Hercules, CA). Representative digital images were processed using the Photoshop software (Adobe Systems, Mountain View, CA). Images were printed with a Fuji Pictography thermal transfer printer (Fuji Photo, Elmsford, NY).

EMSA.
Nuclear extracts were prepared by the method of Dignam et al. (15) . The Ik-BS1 (5'-TCAGCTTTTGGGAATACCCTGTCA-3') oligonucleotide probe containing a high-affinity Ikaros binding site was end-labeled with [{gamma}-32 P]ATP (3000 Ci/mmol) using T4 polynucleotide kinase and purified using a Nuctrap probe purification column (Stratagene). Three-µg samples of the nuclear extracts and 1 ng of labeled Ik-BS1 probe (1 x 105 cpm/ng) were used in the DNA binding reaction. For competition reactions, 60-fold excess unlabeled specific or nonspecific oligonucleotides were added prior to the addition of the labeled Ik-BS1 probe. The Ik-BS1 oligonucleotide was used as the specific competitor, and the Ik-BS1M oligonucleotide (5'-TCAGCTTTTGGGggTACCCTGTCA-3'), which contains a 2-bp mutation at the Ikaros binding site, was used as the nonspecific competitor.


    RESULTS
 Top
 ABSTRACT
 INTRODUCTION
 MATERIALS AND METHODS
 RESULTS
 DISCUSSION
 REFERENCES
 
Ikaros Protein Expression in Leukemic T-Cells.
Ikaros expression was studied in T-ALL cell lines, normal tissues, and primary leukemic cells from children with T-ALL by Western blot analysis. Normal bone marrow cells and thymocytes expressed a Mr 57,000 immunoreactive protein corresponding in size to Ik-1 and a Mr 47,000 immunoreactive protein corresponding to either Ik-2 or Ik-3 (Table 2Citation ; Fig. 1ACitation ). In contrast, MOLT-3 cells, JK-E6–1 cells, and primary leukemic cells from all T-ALL patients primarily expressed smaller immunoreactive proteins of Mr ~37,000–40,000, corresponding in size and electrophoretic mobility to the dominant-negative Ikaros isoforms Ik-4, Ik-5, Ik-6, Ik-7, and Ik-8 lacking critical NH2 -terminal zinc fingers involved in DNA binding (Table 2Citation ; Fig. 1, B–DCitation ).


View this table:
[in this window]
[in a new window]
 
Table 2 Expression of dominant-negative and mutant Ikaros isoforms in leukemic cells from children with T-lineage ALLa

 


View larger version (37K):
[in this window]
[in a new window]
 
Fig. 1. Western blot analysis of Ikaros protein expression in leukemic T cells. A, anti-Ikaros Western blots of whole-cell lysates from normal bone marrow cells (NBM-1), normal infant thymocytes (NTHY-1, NTHY-2, and NTHY-3), and fetal thymocytes (FT). The positions of proteins corresponding to the size-based migration patterns of Ik-1 (Mr ~57,000), Ik-2/Ik-3 (Mr ~47,000), and Ik-4 through Ik-8 (Mr ~37,000–40,000) proteins are indicated. B–D, anti-Ikaros Western blots of whole-cell lysates from JK-E6-1 and MOLT-3 cell lines, normal bone marrow mononuclear cells (NBM-2) and leukemic cells from 17 children with T-ALL.

 
Abnormal Subcellular Compartmentalization of Ikaros Proteins and Loss of Ikaros-specific DNA Binding Activity in Leukemic T-Cells.
We compared the subcellular compartmentalization of Ikaros proteins in normal and fetal tissues to that in primary leukemic cells and cell lines by confocal laser scanning microscopy. The nuclei, but not the cytoplasm, of fetal thymocytes, normal thymocytes, and normal bone marrow mononuclear cells were stained brightly by the anti-Ikaros antibody, as evidenced by a distinct punctate green fluorescent staining pattern in toto-3-labeled blue nuclei (Table 2Citation ; Fig. 2ACitation ). These findings are consistent with previous reports regarding the exclusively nuclear localization of Ikaros proteins in normal mouse thymocytes and in transfected fibroblast cells ectopically expressing the DNA-binding Ikaros isoforms Ik1, Ik2, or Ik3 (4 , 7) . In contrast, Ikaros proteins were expressed predominantly in the cytoplasm of leukemic T-cells from 7 of 11 children (64%) with T-ALL as well as JK-E6–1 and MOLT-3 leukemic T-cell lines, as evidenced by a bright green fluorescent rim surrounding the toto-3-labeled blue nuclei (Table 2Citation ; Fig. 2, B–DCitation ). In leukemic T-cells from 4 of 11 cases (36%), we found an abnormal diffuse, "patchy" nuclear staining with or without cytoplasmic staining (Table 2Citation ; Fig. 2, E and FCitation ).



View larger version (99K):
[in this window]
[in a new window]
 
Fig. 2. Subcellular compartmentalization and DNA binding activity of Ikaros proteins in normal thymocytes and leukemic T cells. A, confocal images of normal thymocytes (NTHY-1) showing the characteristic multifocal nuclear localization pattern of Ikaros (i.e., green fluorescent punctate staining in toto-3-labeled blue nuclei). B–D, confocal images of leukemic T cells from MOLT-3 and JK-E6-1 cell lines as well as primary leukemic cells from T-ALL#12 (representative of 60% of the T-ALL patients), showing cytoplasmic expression of Ikaros (i.e., bright green fluorescent rim surrounding the toto-3-labeled blue nuclei). E and F, confocal images of leukemic cells from T-ALL#3 and T-ALL#9 (representative of 40% of the T-ALL patients) showing an abnormal nuclear localization of Ikaros proteins (i.e., a diffuse, patchy staining pattern). See also Table 2 for detailed information on Ikaros expression profiles in normal and leukemic cells. G and H, Ikaros-specific DNA binding activity of nuclear proteins extracted from normal thymocytes and leukemic T cells of T-ALL patients was evaluated by EMSA using the radiolabeled Ik-BS1 probe, as described in "Materials and Methods." In G, 60-fold excess unlabeled wild-type Ik-BS-1 and mutant Ik-BSM oligonucleotides were used for homologous versus nonhomologous competition to show the specificity of the mobility shifts. In H, nuclear extracts from leukemic T cells did not show any detectable Ikaros-specific DNA-binding activity.

 
The ability of nuclear extract proteins from normal thymocytes and leukemic T-cells to exhibit Ikaros-specific, high-affinity DNA-binding activity was assessed in gel mobility shift assays using the Ik-BS1 oligonucleotide probe that contains a single high-affinity Ikaros binding site. Nuclear proteins from normal thymocytes revealed mobility shifts consistent with significant Ikaros-specific, DNA-binding activity (Fig. 2G)Citation . Three major shifted bands, which correspond to protein-DNA complexes containing Ikaros, were detected, reminiscent of the results from Ik-BS1 EMSA on murine thymocytes. This triplet binding pattern was specific, because 60-fold excess of the unlabeled wild-type Ik-BS1 oligonucleotide, but not the mutant Ik-BSM oligonucleotide, was able to inhibit the mobility shift (Lanes 3 versus 4, respectively). In contrast, nuclear extracts from MOLT-3 cells or leukemic T-cells from T-ALL patients revealed no detectable mobility shifts of the Ik-BS1 probe (Fig. 2H)Citation .

Molecular Characterization of Ikaros Transcripts in T-Lineage ALL Cells.
RT-PCR and nucleotide sequencing were used to examine normal thymocytes and bone marrow cells as well as leukemic T-cells for the expression of PCR-amplifiable Ikaros transcripts (Fig. 3)Citation . A single ~1.4-kb PCR product was observed in normal fetal thymocytes, and the PCR clones had the coding sequence of wild-type Ik 1 (Fig. 3BCitation ; Table 2Citation ). Similarly, a single ~1.2-kb PCR amplification product was detected in normal bone marrow cells, and the PCR clones had the coding sequence of wild-type Ik-2 (Fig. 3BCitation ; Table 2Citation ). By comparison, the predominant PCR products in leukemic cells from children with T-ALL, with the exception of T-ALL# 14, were smaller than Ik-2 (Fig. 3B)Citation .



View larger version (42K):
[in this window]
[in a new window]
 
Fig. 3. Detection of PCR-amplifiable Ikaros transcripts in leukemic T cells. A, schematic representation of Ikaros isoforms 1–8 with specific composition of domains encoded by exons (E) 1–7 and the PCR primers. B, representative ethidium bromide-stained gels of the PCR products from fetal thymocytes (FT), normal bone marrow mononuclear cells (NBM2), MOLT-3 T-ALL cell line, and primary leukemic cells from six patients with T-ALL. First and last lanes contain molecular size markers. C, cloned PCR products were subjected to automated sequencing as described in "Materials and Methods." Sequence traces spanning the junction between exon 2 and exon 4 are shown for representative PCR clones from T-ALL#5 (control clone with wild-type Ik-2 coding sequence) and T-ALL#14. D, an illustration of how the first three zinc fingers (F2, F3, and F4) of Ik-2 interact with the major groove of a DNA duplex, which was modeled according to the crystal structure of Zif26813. A 20-amino acid insertion (i.e., exon 2a-encoded sequence) is located upstream from the zinc finger F2 and corresponds to the position of zinc finger F1, which is present in Ik-1, Ik-3, and Ik-5. Exon 2a sequence = VTYGADDFRDFHAIIPK ({alpha}-helix) SFSR (flexible region).

 
Sequence analysis was successful in 10 T-lineage ALL patients and in the MOLT-3 and JK-E6–1 cell lines (Table 2Citation ; Figs. 3CCitation and 4Citation ). Six of 10 clones from MOLT-3 cells corresponded to an aberrant Ik-2 with a single amino acid substitution (G->V) plus a 20-amino acid insertion (TYGADDFRDFHAIIPKSFSR) due a 60-bp insertion immediately upstream of exon 4 at the exon 2/exon 4 junction and a 10-amino acid deletion ({Delta} KSSMPQKFLG) mutation with 30 bp missing at the 3' end of exon 6 (Table 2)Citation . Three of the remaining four clones had the wild-type Ik-8 sequence, and one was mutant Ik-8 with the same 30-bp deletion at the 3'-end of exon 6 as in Ik-2.



View larger version (49K):
[in this window]
[in a new window]
 
Fig. 4. Sequence analysis of Ikaros PCR clones from leukemic T cells. Cloned PCR products were subjected to automated sequencing as described in "Materials and Methods." Sequence traces spanning the junction between exon 6 and exon 7 are shown for some of the individual PCR clones from leukemic cells of: A, T-ALL#5 (wild-type Ik-2) and T-ALL#6 (Ik-2, {Delta}KSSMPQKFLG deletion); B, T-ALL#5 (wild-type Ik-4) and T-ALL#12 (Ik-4, {Delta}KSSMPQKFLG deletion); C, MOLT-3 cell line (wild-type Ik-8) and T-ALL#12 (Ik-8, {Delta}KSSMPQKFLG deletion).

 
Leukemic cells from patient #14 expressed aberrant Ik-2 isoforms with the same 60-bp insertion at the 5' end of exon 4 as in MOLT-3 cells, either alone or together with the 30-bp deletion mutation at the 3' end of exon 6 (Table 2Citation ; Fig. 3CCitation ). The inserted 20-amino acid peptide is likely encoded by a small exon, which we named exon 2a. A computer analysis of the exon 2a amino acid sequence indicated that exon 2a encodes a perfect {alpha}-helix, which is followed by a flexible region. The flexible region (KSFSR) is located upstream from the DNA binding zinc fingers (F2 and F3 in Fig. 3, A and DCitation ) and consists of two positively charged residues and two serine residues that have high binding affinity for the phosphate backbone of DNA. Moreover, our structure-based modeling studies (13 , 14) indicated that the exon 2a-encoded peptide takes the position of the DNA-binding zinc finger F1, which is found in amino acid sequences of Ik-1, Ik-3, and Ik-5 but not in Ik-2 (Fig. 3, A and D)Citation . Therefore, the presence of exon 2a may significantly alter the Ikaros-specific, DNA-binding activity of Ik-2 because exon 2a-encoded peptide is likely incorporated into the DNA-binding region, as illustrated in Fig. 3DCitation . This notion is supported by the observed abnormal subcellular compartmentalization of Ikaros protein and lack of high-affinity Ikaros DNA-binding activity in leukemic T-cells expressing Ik-2 containing exon 2a.

Eight PCR clones from JK-E6–1 cells had the wild-type coding sequence of the dominant-negative Ikaros isoform Ik-4. Similar to JK-E6–1 cells, primary leukemic cells from 8 of 10 T-ALL patients that were analyzed expressed the dominant-negative Ikaros isoform Ik-4 (Table 2Citation ; Fig. 4Citation ); T-ALL #2 and #16 expressed only wild-type Ik-4. All nine PCR clones from T-ALL #3 had the abnormal Ik-4 (Ik-4, {Delta}KSSMPQKFLG) coding sequence with the 30-bp deletion at the 3' end of exon 6, identical to the deletion found in MOLT-3 cell line. T-ALL #5 and #6 expressed wild-type Ik-4, along with wild-type or the {Delta}KSSMPQKFLG deletion form of Ik-2. Six of 7 PCR clones from T-ALL #12 had the aberrant Ik-4 coding sequence with the deletion, and the remaining clone was an aberrant Ik-2 with the same deletion. Patient #18 expressed both wild-type and {Delta} KSSMPQKFLG deletion forms of Ik-4, along with wild-type Ik-1 and Ik-2. Finally, leukemic cells from patient #4 expressed deletion forms of the dominant-negative Ikaros isoform Ik-7 (sequence of 7 of 10 PCR clones) and DNA-binding Ikaros isoform Ik-2 (sequence of 3 of 10 PCR clones). The observed NH2 -terminal insertions and COOH-terminal deletions did not cause frame shift and therefore did not change the downstream amino acid sequences.

Thus, extending the confocal microscopy, EMSAs, and Western blot analyses, RT-PCR and sequencing confirmed that each T-ALL case expresses dominant-negative and/or abnormal isoforms of Ikaros; T-ALL cell lines JK-E6–1 and MOLT-3 as well as leukemic cells from 9 of 10 patients with T-ALL expressed dominant-negative Ikaros isoforms, including Ik-4 (JK-E6–1 and 8 of 10 T-ALL patients), Ik-7 (1 of 10 patients), and Ik-8 (MOLT-3). Furthermore, in 6 of 10 T-ALL cases as well as in the MOLT-3 cell line, the PCR clones with coding sequences of Ik-2, Ik-4, Ik-7, and Ik-8 had a specific deletion at the 3' end of exon 6.


    DISCUSSION
 Top
 ABSTRACT
 INTRODUCTION
 MATERIALS AND METHODS
 RESULTS
 DISCUSSION
 REFERENCES
 
The Ikaros gene encodes, by means of alternative pre-mRNA splicing, multiple zinc finger proteins with distinct DNA binding capabilities and specificities (4 , 7) . Furthermore, other DNA binding proteins such as Aiolos (16 , 17) and Helios (18) , which can dimerize with all Ikaros isoforms via their shared COOH-terminal zinc finger domains to form stable multimeric complexes, act in concert with Ikaros and may partially complement its function. These different multimeric complexes are thought to control the transcription of developmentally important genes during lymphocyte ontogeny and thereby play pivotal roles for the orderly maturation of lymphocyte precursors (4) . Non-DNA-binding Ikaros proteins with fewer than three NH2 -terminal zinc fingers can act as "dominant-negative" regulators by interfering with the ability of DNA-binding Ikaros isoforms to form homo- and heterodimers or complexes with Aiolos and Helios (7) . It is therefore conceivable that inappropriate expression of non-DNA-binding Ikaros isoforms during early lymphopoiesis may dysregulate normal lymphocyte development. Such a developmental error could lead to a maturational arrest at discrete stages of lymphocyte ontogeny and predispose lymphocyte precursors to second hits and leukemic transformation. This hypothesis is supported by the fact that a deletion of three NH2 -terminal zinc fingers of Ikaros results in a dominant-negative mutation and leads to development of T-ALL in germ-line mutant mice between the third and sixth months after birth (6) .

In the present study, we sought to determine whether abnormal Ikaros expression and function could contribute to the development of childhood T-ALL. Our findings provide unprecedented evidence that, in contrast to normal thymocytes and bone marrow cells, which express the DNA-binding Ikaros isoforms Ik-1 and Ik-2, leukemic cells from children with T-ALL preferentially transcribe Ikaros mRNA species lacking two or more of the exons 3, 4, and 5 that encode crucial DNA-binding zinc finger domains. Consequently, these leukemic cells primarily express non-DNA-binding dominant-negative isoforms of Ikaros (Ik-4, Ik-7, and Ik-8), which display abnormal subcellular compartmentalization patterns. Nuclear extracts from leukemic T-cells failed to bind DNA in mobility shift assays using a DNA probe containing an Ikaros-specific DNA binding sequence, whereas nuclear extracts prepared from normal human thymocytes specifically bound this probe in monomeric or multimeric protein/DNA complexes. These results indicate that the posttranscriptional regulation of alternative splicing of Ikaros RNA is defective in leukemic cells from children with T-ALL. Furthermore, the absence of Ikaros-specific, DNA-binding activity in leukemic cells with an abnormal patchy-diffuse nuclear Ikaros staining pattern (e.g., T-ALL#3, #12, and #14) indicated altered DNA binding properties of Ikaros-containing complexes in some of the T-ALL patients.

A recurring deletion of a 10-amino acid peptide, which is located in close proximity to the conserved bipartite transcription activation domain (7) within the first 81 amino acids of exon 7 adjacent to the COOH-terminal zinc finger dimerization motifs, was detected in leukemic T-cells from 6 of 10 T-ALL patients as well as in the MOLT-3 cell line and involved Ik-2, Ik-4, Ik-7, and Ik-8 coding sequences. The structural changes caused by this deletion could affect the accessibility of the mutant Ikaros activation domain for interactions with members of the basal transcription machinery and stability of such interactions. These IKAROS deletion mutants could also be impaired in their ability to form dimers or other higher order complexes with other IKAROS isoforms or other proteins. Such impairments could lead to altered DNA binding or altered subcellular localization of IKAROS, as we observed in the experiments described above. These possibilities will be examined further in future experiments.

In MOLT-3 cells as well as primary leukemic cells from one of the children with T-ALL, a unique 21-amino acid insertion (VTYGADDFRDFHAIIPKSFSR) was found between the domains encoded by exon 2 and exon 4 of Ik-2. This peptide is likely encoded by a small exon, which we named exon 2a, that shows 90% homology to an exon described in a radiation-induced mouse thymoma cell line (5) . The cause for the preferential expression of exon 2a in leukemic T-cells is presently unknown but may represent an error that occurred during the programmed alternative splicing of Ikaros pre-mRNA. Computer modeling studies indicated that the exon 2a-encoded peptide is likely incorporated into the DNA-binding region and therefore may significantly alter the Ikaros-specific DNA-binding activity of Ik-2. This notion was supported by the observed abnormal subcellular compartmentalization of Ikaros protein and lack of high affinity Ikaros DNA-binding activity in leukemic T-cells expressing Ik-2 containing exon 2a.

Taken together, our findings provide direct evidence that children with T-ALL have mutations in Ikaros and express high levels of dysfunctional dominant-negative Ikaros isoforms. Our study extends previous studies in mice, which demonstrated that germ-line mutant mice expressing dominant-negative isoforms of Ikaros develop T-ALL, and implicates the Ikaros gene in the leukemogenesis of childhood T-ALL. Recent studies have shown that immature lymphocyte precursors express DNA-binding isoforms of Ikaros that localize to centromeric heterochromatin, which may lead to gene silencing (4 , 9 , 10) . Thus, Ikaros might play an important role in recruitment and centromere-associated silencing of growth-regulatory genes (4 , 9 , 10) . An abundance of dominant-negative or mutant Ikaros isoforms that no longer bind DNA would interfere with centromeric recruitment and repression of specific genes during lymphocyte development. Expression of Ikaros isoforms incapable of lineage-specific gene silencing might also contribute to the lineage infidelity observed frequently in T-ALL (3) . To our knowledge, this is the first report to document the expression of dominant-negative and mutant isoforms of Ikaros in childhood T-lineage ALL. Our report extends our recent study that implicated the Ikaros gene in the leukemogenesis of infant ALL (8) .


    FOOTNOTES
 
1 Supported in part by Children’s Cancer Group Chairman’s Grant No. CA-13539 from the National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health. F. M. U. is a Stohlman Scholar of the Leukemia Society of America, New York, NY. This work was presented in part during the Plenary Session at the 40th Annual Symposium of the American Society of Hematology held in Florida, Miami Beach, December 4–8, 1998. Back

2 To whom requests for reprints should be addressed, at Hughes Institute, 2665 Long Lake Road, Suite 330, St. Paul, MN 55113. Phone: (612) 697-9228; Fax: (612) 697-1042. Back

3 The abbreviations used are: ALL, acute lymphoblastic leukemia; T-ALL, T-cell ALL; CCG, Children’s Cancer Group; RT-PCR, reverse transcription-PCR; EMSA, electrophoretic mobility shift assay. Back

Received 2/24/99; revised 5/13/99; accepted 5/13/99.


    REFERENCES
 Top
 ABSTRACT
 INTRODUCTION
 MATERIALS AND METHODS
 RESULTS
 DISCUSSION
 REFERENCES
 

  1. Pizzo P. Poplack D. eds. . Principles and Practice of Pediatric Oncology Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Principles and Practice of Pediatric Oncology, Ed. 2 431 J. B. Lippincott Co. Hagerstown, MD 1993.
  2. Greaves M. F., Chan L. C., Furley A. J., Watt S. M., Molgaard H. V. Lineage promiscuity in hematopoietic differentiation and leukemia. Blood, 67: 1-11, 1986.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
  3. Uckun F. M., Sensel M. G., Waddick K. G., Sun L., Steinherz P. G., Trigg M. E., Heerema N. A., Sather H. N., Reaman G. H., Gaynon P. S. Biology and treatment of childhood T-lineage acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Blood, 91: 735-746, 1998.[Free Full Text]
  4. Cortes M., Wong E., Koipally J., Georgopoulos K. Control of lymphocyte development by the ikaros gene family. Curr. Opin. Immunol., 11: 167-179, 1999.[Medline]
  5. Hahm K., Ernst P., Lo K., Kim G. S., Truck C., Smale S. T. The lymphoid transcription factor LyF-1 is encoded by specific, alternatively spliced mRNA derived from the Ikaros gene. Mol. Cell. Biol., 14: 7111-7123, 1994.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
  6. Winandy S., Wu P., Georgopoulos K. A dominant mutation in the Ikaros gene leads to rapid development of leukemia and lymphoma. Cell, 83: 289-299, 1995.[Medline]
  7. Sun L., Liu A., Georgopoulos K. Zinc finger-mediated protein interactions modulate Ikaros activity, a molecular control of lymphocyte development. EMBO J., 15: 5358-5369, 1996.[Medline]
  8. Sun L., Heerema N., Crotty L., Wu X., Navara C., Vassilev A., Sensel M., Reaman G. H., Uckun F. M. Expression of dominant-negative and mutant isoforms of the antileukemic transcription factor Ikaros in infant acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 96: 680-685, 1999.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
  9. Brown K. E., Guest S. S., Smale S. T., Hahm K., Merkenschlager M., Fisher A. G. Association of transcriptionally silent genes with Ikaros complexes at centromeric heterochromatin. Cell, 91: 845-854, 1997.[Medline]
  10. Klug C. A., Morrison S. J., Masek M., Hahm K., Smale S. T., Weissman I. L. Hematopoietic stem cells and lymphoid progenitors express different Ikaros isoforms, and Ikaros is localized to heterochromatin in immature lymphocytes. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 95: 657-662, 1998.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
  11. Uckun F., Reaman G., Steinherz P., Arthur D. C., Sather H., Trigg M., Tuberjen D., Gaynon P. S. Improved outcome for children with T-lineage acute lymphoblastic leukemia after contemporary chemotherapy: a Children’s Cancer Group study. Leuk. Lymphoma, 24: 57-70, 1996.[Medline]
  12. Uckun F. M., Gaynon P., Sensel M., et al Clinical features and treatment outcome of childhood T-lineage acute lymphoblastic leukemia according to the apparent maturational stage of T-lineage leukemic blasts: a Children’s Cancer Group study. J. Clin. Oncol., 15: 2214-2221, 1997.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
  13. Pavletich N. P., Pabo C. O. Crystal structure of a five-finger GLI-DNA complex: new perspectives on zinc fingers. Science (Washington DC), 26: 1701-1707, 1993.
  14. Jones T. A., Zou J. Y., Cowan S. W., Kjeldgaard Improved methods for binding protein models in electron density maps and the location of errors in these models. Acta Crystallogr. A., 47: 110-119, 1991.
  15. Dignam J. D., Lebovitz R. M., Roeder R. G. Accurate transcription initiation by RNA polymerase II in a soluble extract from isolated mammalian nuclei. Nucleic Acid Res., 11: 1475-1489, 1983.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
  16. Morgan B., Sun L., Avitahl N., Andrikopoulos K., Ikeda T., Gonzales E., Wu P., Neben S., Georgopoulos K. Aiolos, a lymphoid restricted transcription factor that interacts with Ikaros to regulate lymphocyte differentiation. EMBO J., 16: 2004-2013, 1997.[Medline]
  17. Kelley C. M., Ikeda T., Koipally J., Avitahl N., Wu L., Georgo-poulos K., Morgan B. A. Helios, a novel dimerization partner of Ikaros expressed in the earliest hematopoietic progenitors. Curr. Biol., 8: 508-515, 1998.[Medline]
  18. Hahm K., Cobb B. S., McCarty A. S., Brown K. E., Klug C. A., Lee R., Akashi K., Weissman I. L., Fisher A. G., Smale S. T. Helios, a T cell-restricted Ikaros family member that quantitatively associates with Ikaros at centromeric heterochromatin. Genes Dev., 12: 782-796, 1998.[Abstract/Free Full Text]



This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
Cancer Res.Home page
S. Loeper, S. L. Asa, and S. Ezzat
Ikaros Modulates Cholesterol Uptake: A Link between Tumor Suppression and Differentiation
Cancer Res., May 15, 2008; 68(10): 3715 - 3723.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
J. Biol. Chem.Home page
T. Ronni, K. J. Payne, S. Ho, M. N. Bradley, G. Dorsam, and S. Dovat
Human Ikaros Function in Activated T Cells Is Regulated by Coordinated Expression of Its Largest Isoforms
J. Biol. Chem., January 26, 2007; 282(4): 2538 - 2547.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Mol. Cell. Biol.Home page
V. M. Sharma, J. A. Calvo, K. M. Draheim, L. A. Cunningham, N. Hermance, L. Beverly, V. Krishnamoorthy, M. Bhasin, A. J. Capobianco, and M. A. Kelliher
Notch1 Contributes to Mouse T-Cell Leukemia by Directly Inducing the Expression of c-myc
Mol. Cell. Biol., November 1, 2006; 26(21): 8022 - 8031.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Clin. Cancer Res.Home page
M. Liu, Y. Ge, S. G. Payton, A. Aboukameel, S. Buck, R. M. Flatley, C. Haska, R. Mohammad, J. W. Taub, and L. H. Matherly
Transcriptional Regulation of the Human Reduced Folate Carrier in Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Cells
Clin. Cancer Res., January 15, 2006; 12(2): 608 - 616.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Mol. Cell. Biol.Home page
A. Dumortier, R. Jeannet, P. Kirstetter, E. Kleinmann, M. Sellars, N. R. dos Santos, C. Thibault, J. Barths, J. Ghysdael, J. A. Punt, et al.
Notch Activation Is an Early and Critical Event during T-Cell Leukemogenesis in Ikaros-Deficient Mice
Mol. Cell. Biol., January 1, 2006; 26(1): 209 - 220.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
J. Leukoc. Biol.Home page
E. Smith and M. Sigvardsson
The roles of transcription factors in B lymphocyte commitment, development, and transformation
J. Leukoc. Biol., June 1, 2004; 75(6): 973 - 981.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
J. Biol. Chem.Home page
B. J. Westman, J. Perdomo, M. Sunde, M. Crossley, and J. P. Mackay
The C-terminal Domain of Eos Forms a High Order Complex in Solution
J. Biol. Chem., October 24, 2003; 278(43): 42419 - 42426.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
J. Immunol.Home page
K. J. Payne, G. Huang, E. Sahakian, J. Y. Zhu, N. S. Barteneva, L. W. Barsky, M. A. Payne, and G. M. Crooks
Ikaros Isoform X Is Selectively Expressed in Myeloid Differentiation
J. Immunol., March 15, 2003; 170(6): 3091 - 3098.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
BloodHome page
F. Ishimaru, T. Yagi, S. Hibi, M. Takanashi, G. Kano, Y. Tabata, T. Imamura, T. Inaba, A. Morimoto, S. Todo, et al.
Expression of Ikaros isoforms in patients with acute myeloid leukemia
Blood, July 30, 2002; 100(4): 1511 - 1513.
[Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
BloodHome page
T. Yagi, S. Hibi, M. Takanashi, G. Kano, Y. Tabata, T. Imamura, T. Inaba, A. Morimoto, S. Todo, and S. Imashuku
High frequency of Ikaros isoform 6 expression in acute myelomonocytic and monocytic leukemias: implications for up-regulation of the antiapoptotic protein Bcl-XL in leukemogenesis
Blood, February 15, 2002; 99(4): 1350 - 1355.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
BloodHome page
C. Tonnelle, F. Bardin, C. Maroc, A.-M. Imbert, F. Campa, A. Dalloul, C. Schmitt, and C. Chabannon
Forced expression of the Ikaros 6 isoform in human placental blood CD34+ cells impairs their ability to differentiate toward the B-lymphoid lineage
Blood, November 1, 2001; 98(9): 2673 - 2680.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
J. Immunol.Home page
K. J. Payne, J.-H. Nicolas, J. Y. Zhu, L. W. Barsky, and G. M. Crooks
Cutting Edge: Predominant Expression of a Novel Ikaros Isoform in Normal Human Hemopoiesis
J. Immunol., August 15, 2001; 167(4): 1867 - 1870.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
J. Leukoc. Biol.Home page
I. Christopherson, M. Piechoki, G. Liu, S. Ratner, and A. Galy
Regulation of L-selectin expression by a dominant negative Ikaros protein
J. Leukoc. Biol., April 1, 2001; 69(4): 675 - 683.
[Abstract] [Full Text]


Home page
Cancer Res.Home page
K. Nakase, F. Ishimaru, N. Avitahl, H. Dansako, K. Matsuo, K. Fujii, N. Sezaki, H. Nakayama, T. Yano, S. Fukuda, et al.
Dominant Negative Isoform of the Ikaros Gene in Patients with Adult B-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
Cancer Res., August 1, 2000; 60(15): 4062 - 4065.
[Abstract] [Full Text]


This Article
Right arrow Abstract Freely available
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Sun, L.
Right arrow Articles by Uckun, F. M.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Sun, L.
Right arrow Articles by Uckun, F. M.


HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
Cancer Research Clinical Cancer Research
Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention Molecular Cancer Therapeutics
Molecular Cancer Research Cancer Prevention Research
Cancer Prevention Journals Portal Cancer Reviews Online
Annual Meeting Education Book Meeting Abstracts Online